A Fundamental Error in the Treatment of all Diabetes

Since Banting discovered insulin in the 1920's, he mentioned that “insulin was not the cure for diabetes”. More recent research has indicated that oxidative/nitrosative stresses in the pancreatic Beta cells are almost certainly the cause of death of these insulin-producing cells. How does this occur? Macrophages which are close to the Beta cells in the islets of Langerhans are activated by T lymphocytes. The macrophage generates a peroxide known as peroxynitrite (OON=O-) which reacts with carbon dioxide to produce an excellent oxidizer and nitrator which kills the Beta cells and insulin production ceases. Peroxynitrite and/or its carbon dioxide derivative damages DNA, RNA, protein and lipids which kills the cellular source of energy- the mitochondria. At first the peroxynitrite produces acute inflammation but after months of this inflammation the damage process becomes chronic and much more difficult to treat. In fact, the treatments are usually one or multiple types of fast and slow acting insulin, drugs which help control fasting glucose or drugs which control glucagon. These drugs help controlling excessive blood glucose or hemoglobin A1C or replace the missing insulin needed for life itself. But, they do not treat the main toxin causing the disease. This is done by controlling the ravaging effects of peroxynitrite and/or derivatives. The most effective method would be to use non-toxic substances which act as chemical targets of oxidation and/or nitration and which can control excessive peroxynitrite continuously. This would be substances like L-tyrosine, substantial amounts of sustained release vitamin C, monophenols, astaxanthin and phospholipids from Krill, fish oil fatty acids, eg EPA, DHA, short chain unsaturated fatty acids or their salts or flaxseed oil, tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta. In addition- a variety sustained release mono and di phenolic substances could effectively control excessive levels of peroxynitrite.